propaganda
Oct. 12th, 2009 08:41 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
timSo there's a meme going around that it's not doctors or hospitals (you know, the ones who get richer by providing unnecessary care), but rather, patients who are to blame for the rising cost of health care, because they demand too much medical treatment.
Do you think so? Have you ever demanded care that was above and beyond what you needed? Have you known anyone who went out and got health care just for fun?
Or could it be that convincing people to blame themselves is a powerfully politically disempowering tactic?
I'm listening to an NPR program at the moment talking about how things would be better if people would just trust their doctors, who are currently cowed into submission giving patients the unnecessary and potentially harmful care they demand because insurance won't reimburse them for spending extra time explaining to the patients that it's not necessary, and due to fear of malpractice suits.
But why should you trust someone who puts their fear of losing money ahead of your welfare?
Do you think so? Have you ever demanded care that was above and beyond what you needed? Have you known anyone who went out and got health care just for fun?
Or could it be that convincing people to blame themselves is a powerfully politically disempowering tactic?
I'm listening to an NPR program at the moment talking about how things would be better if people would just trust their doctors, who are currently cowed into submission giving patients the unnecessary and potentially harmful care they demand because insurance won't reimburse them for spending extra time explaining to the patients that it's not necessary, and due to fear of malpractice suits.
But why should you trust someone who puts their fear of losing money ahead of your welfare?
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
warning, woman talk
Date: 2009-10-12 06:35 pm (UTC)But I've certainly gotten care I think is unnecessary. I've had two ultrasounds for my current pregnancy. Perhaps the first was justified to date the pregnancy (though the fact that I had a good idea when act that led to conception occurred and two pregnancy tests a week apart, one negative one positive, and it correlated with my cycle-tracking).
The second, which I got because my measured date from ultrasound #1 (which matched my estimated data within a day) was week off the last missed period, was a complete waste of everyone's time and money. I tried to protest, but it became clear that it was just easier for everyone to get the unnecessary ultrasound.
The end of my last pregnancy was filled with pointless tests, too. The high cesarean rate in the US does not benefit women or babies, but does add to our health care costs.
My daughter has had repeated ENT visits recommended by our doctor. Some of these were justified, but not all of them.
Also, some provided in unnecessarily expensive ways that also happen to be inconvenient. An annual quick-check physical should take ten minutes while you're in walmart, not a trip to the doctor and waiting in the room, and blah-de-blah blah. I find it annoying how difficult it can be to get a sore throat checked it. This should be cheaper total cost (post insurance it's cheap enough as it is) and easier.